Whispers in the Snow
by Allen the Musician
Summary: AU. An unusual child is discovered in the Seireitei, a child who doesn't remember his past or even his name. Many years pass, and the youth forgets, but the past that he chose to forget will soon come back to haunt him.
1. Unusual Child

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach nor any of it's wonderful characters.

A/N - this story is AU and I have decided to mix up the captains a little bit. I'm not a fan of the Head Captain so I'm choosing to ignore his existence. And Urahara is still a captain. Hope that you enjoy.

Chapter One - Unusual Child

Squad Twelve Captain Kisuke Urahara was walking around the Seireitei, content to ignore the work that he should be doing, when he felt a surge of reiatsu radiating from out in the Rukongai. It was odd for such a strong reiatsu to appear out of nowhere and even stranger that he couldn't identify it. Such as strong reiatsu should be familiar to the captain but it was not.

"Unusual," Urahara muttered to himself as he began walking toward the wall that separated the Seireitei where the Shinigami lived from the Rukongai, which was inhabited by normal souls.

Something weird was going on and he couldn't contain his curiosity. It practically demanded that he seek out the source of this unusual and strong reiatsu.

"Something strange is going on," he muttered to himself as he left the Seireitei and made his way out to the Rukongai. The reiatsu signal had been strong at first but now it seemed to come and go.

Which of course made it difficult to trace.

But that fact only made Urahara smirk. He was always up for a challenge, since he was usually bored with the tasks he was given as a Shinigami. Even being a captain didn't offer him much of a challenge and he was always up for something new.

"I'll find you," he said as he continued to follow the faint signals. "You can hide your reiatsu if you wish but it won't do you any good."

Urahara made his way through a dense forest in District One, walking at a brisk pace until he came upon a winding river. But this wasn't the part that caused him to draw up short, his eyes wide.

No, the surprising thing was the young child who was lying on the ground near the bank of the river. The little boy appeared to be around the age of five or six and he had snow white hair.

And there was a large sword lying on the ground at his side.

"Hello there," Urahara said in a quiet voice as he walked toward the child.

The little boy sat up quickly, gazing at Urahara with wide, distrustful eyes. The child got to his feet and made an attempt to run from this strange man dressed in black and white but, after only a few steps, the little boy tripped and fell back to the ground.

"Whoa," Urahara said, speaking in a kind voice and holding out his hand. "You don't have to be scared of me. I don't have any plans to cause you harm."

The child gazed up at the man and there was a look in his large teal eyes that told the Shinigami, as plain as words would have, that he didn't believe the words that were being spoken to him.

"My name is Kisuke Urahara and I'm the Captain of Squad Twelve of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads." Urahara continued to speak softly, in the hopes of gaining the little boy's trust. "What's your name little one?"

The white haired child held a thoughtful look in his expressive teal eyes for a few moments before shrugging his small shoulders. He may have had a name at one point but he no matter how hard he thought he couldn't remember what it had been.

"So you don't know your name huh?" Urahara muttered. "Well no matter. I think that you should come with me little one. You have too much power to just remain out here alone." As he spoke Urahara's gaze returned to the sword that was lying on the ground beside the child.

The little boy's gaze followed that of the strange man and he saw that there was a long katana lying on the ground. Instinctively the boy knew that this sword was very important and he reached out and seized hold of it, pulling it toward him. He felt a warm and comforting sensation spread throughout his body as he grasped the hilt of the sword and he felt better somehow.

Which didn't make a lot of sense seeing as he was still out in the middle of nowhere, with a strange man that he had just met.

But for some reason his fear diminished when he held the sword close to him.

"Don't worry about your sword," Urahara said with a chuckle. "You can bring it with you. After all, I think you're probably going to need it later."

The little boy gaze up at the man, as though trying to determine whether or not these words were a veiled threat.

"Come with me."

Urahara was hoping that the child would follow along willingly, since he couldn't leave him out here in the Rukongai. He didn't want to resort to force but he wouldn't have any other choice if the little boy decided to fight him.

Thankfully this did not prove to be the case. The child got to his feet, using the sword to maintain his balance.

"Come on," Urahara encouraged, offering his hand to the little boy.

The child ignored the hand that the man was holding out to him and instead pushed himself to his feet using the sword that he held.

"You're an independent little thing aren't you?" Urahara said with a chuckle. "Well no matter. Come with me and I'll take you to the Seireitei. I think there's someone there that you need to meet."

The child was still wary of this strange, blond man but he followed along none the less. After all, it wasn't as though he really had anywhere else that he could go. He was in a strange place, with no memory of how it was that he had came to be there.

He couldn't even remember his own name.

The white haired youth was by no means certain of what the stranger had in store for him but he was hopeful that, by following the man, he might be able to discover the truth of himself.

It was worth a shot at least.

Urahara made his way back toward the Seireitei, with the child following along behind him at a safe distance. It was obvious that the little boy was still somewhat wary of him but that didn't matter.

Urahara was more concerned with how the

child had escaped their detection with such high reiatsu.

It was positively unheard of for someone with his level of power to remain under the radar of the Shinigami and Urahara was at a loss as to how to explain it.

"There's something odd about this child," he thought to himself as he led the way back toward the gate.

There would, of course, be time enough to discover what was going on with this little boy. But for now Urahara was content to deliver the child to the Head Captain.

When they arrived in the Seireitei, Urahara immediately led the way to the Squad One barracks. He needed to alert Head Captain Ukitake to what he had discovered and then he needed to go back to Squad Twelve and figure out exactly what was going on.

Urahara led the way to the Squad One barracks and, when he arrived at the office of Head Captain Ukitake, he knocked lightly on the door.

"Enter," a voice called out from within.

Urahara opened the door and, motioning for the little boy to follow, stepped inside the office.

"Captain Urahara," Ukitake said, glancing up from his paperwork to gaze at the blond haired Captain of Squad Twelve. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I have made a discovery that I think you may be interested in," Urahara said, stepping aside so that the Head Captain could get a glimpse of the wary child who was following along behind him.

"Where did he come from?" Ukitake asked as he got to his feet and approached the spot where the white haired boy was standing, holding a large sword.

"I found him out in District One," Urahara explained. "He had tremendous reiatsu but doesn't seem to know anything about himself. He can't even remember his own name."

"Poor thing," Ukitake said in a gentle voice, gazing down into the child's large teal eyes.

"I couldn't leave someone with his reiatsu out there alone," Urahara explained. "So what would you like me to do with him?"

"Leave him with me," Ukitake said, his gaze once again shifting to the child. "I'll take care of him until something else can be worked out."

"Right," Urahara said, nodding his head. He had known that this would be the case when he decided to bring the child to the Head Captain but had no intentions of saying this out loud. "Well, since you're going to look after the boy, I'm going to go back to Squad Twelve and see if I can figure this situation out."

"Right," Ukitake said. "Let me know what you discover."

"Yes sir." Urahara bowed to the Head Captain and then turned his attention back to the little boy. "You'll be safe here with Head Captain Ukitake."

And, without so much as another word, Urahara turned and left the office. There were many things that he needed to investigate and he found himself anxious to get started.

"At least this will relieve some of the boredom," the thought to himself as he made his way toward the Squad Twelve barracks.

A/N - well here's the first chapter. I actually got the idea for this story while working on another fic. Hope that you enjoyed.


	2. Blank

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Two - Blank

The white haired child watched as the blond man walked out of the office, leaving him alone with this other strange man. This one appeared somewhat older, or perhaps it was just his white hair that gave that impression. But the look in his eyes was kind and the child found himself relaxing despite himself. It was true that he was in a strange place but the white haired man gave off a calming aura that set his mind at ease.

He got the feeling that this man wouldn't cause him any harm.

The boy wasn't sure why it was that he thought this way but decided to trust his instincts. After all, with no memories of who he was and where he came from, they were really all that he had to rely on at the moment.

"So you don't remember your name," Ukitake said, his gaze focused on the child who was standing a few feet away from him.

The child shook his head, most of the wariness leaving his expressive teal eyes. He seemed to be calming a degree and Ukitake was glad for this change in demeanor.

It would make things easier.

"Well," the Head Captain said, gazing at the boy with a thoughtful expression in his kind eyes. He took in the boy's appearance, which was rather unusual. He had spiked white hair and large teal eyes. His clothes were less remarkable, merely a pale blue yukata. Almost the color of ice. "We can't just call you boy so, until you can remember your real name, how does Toushirou sound?"

The white haired boy seemed to think about the question for a few minutes before giving a curt nod. That name was acceptable until he remembered his own.

"Great," Ukitake said with a smile. "Toushirou it is then. So do you have any idea how you came to be in the Rukongai?"

The boy, now dubbed Toushirou, thought about the question but once again drew a blank. It seemed that he couldn't remember anything about himself before a few hours ago.

It was almost as though his very existence had began out in that forest, by the flowing river.

"No," Toushirou said, speaking for the first time since his discovery. "I can't remember my name… where I came from… anything."

It seemed that the boy was becoming agitated, which was the last thing that Ukitake wanted. After all, his powers were unstable and the Head Captain had the suspicion that he had no idea how to control them.

Causing him to lose his temper could result in damages that Ukitake didn't even want to think about.

"It's okay," Ukitake said in a calm voice. "There's a good chance that the memories will come back to you soon. But just to be on the safe side I'd like for someone from Squad Four to have a look at you."

The boy arched his left brow in confusion. "What's Squad Four?"

"Oh I'm sorry," Ukitake said, reaching up to run a hand through his long white hair. "I forgot that you're new here. "Squad Four is our medical corp. They'll look you over and make sure that you're alright."

"I'm fine," Toushirou snapped, holding the sword even closer to his chest. He still wasn't entirely certain that he trusted these people so he refused to blindly follow along with anything.

Not until he discerned exactly what was going on.

"Then it won't take long," Ukitake said in a calm and yet at the same time commanding voice. He knew that the boy was distrustful but he wanted to make sure that Toushirou was healthy before they did anything else. If something had caused the boy to lose his memory then Squad Four would find it and could more than likely treat it.

If not, well then they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

"It's not necessary," Toushirou maintained, a defiant look appearing in his teal eyes. He was recovering from some of the shock of finding himself in a strange place and was now growing irritated at the people who were seeking to force him to do things that he didn't want to do.

"Come on," Ukitake coaxed, reaching into the sleeve of his long, white coat.

Toushirou stared at the man named Ukitake, trying to figure out exactly what he was up to. He tilted his head to one side but that didn't really give him any greater clarity.

All became apparent, however, as the Head Captain removed his hand from the sleeve of his haori to reveal a handful of sweets. With a smile spread across his face Ukitake offered the candy to Toushirou.

"I'll give you these if you'll promise to cooperate," he said, the smile still on his face.

"I don't…" Toushirou was going to tell the man that he didn't like sweets but his words were cut short as Ukitake thrust the sweets into his arms and then seized him by the hand. It seemed that the man wasn't even going to give him the opportunity to protest.

Too shocked to protest further all the boy could do was follow along as he was pulled from the office.

* * *

After leaving the boy in the capable hands of the Head Captain Urahara made his way back to the Squad Twelve barracks. There were many things about this situation that didn't make sense to him and the blond captain wanted to get started searching for the answers to his many questions.

"Where did this boy come from?" he thought to himself as he made his way to the lab. "Why doesn't he remember who he is? And most important of all, how can he possibly already be in possession of a zanpaktou?"

This last question was the main one as far as Urahara was concerned and, when he arrived in his office at the lab, he immediately began researching records of students in the Shinigami Academy.

It was possible that this boy was a student there and had just suffered some kind of trauma which had caused him to lose his memory. That was the theory that he was choosing to pursue first, at any rate.

Not that he really believed it to be true.

If the boy were truly a student at the Academy then he would have heard of the kid's tremendous power. And he hadn't heard so much as a word spoken about a child prodigy with white hair.

"I hate this kind of tedious work," he muttered to himself as he searched through record after record.

There were many things that he would much rather be doing but this boy's arrival in the Rukongai, seemingly out of nowhere, had captured his attention.

"I'm going to figure it out," he muttered, running a hand through his messy blond hair.

* * *

Toushirou was thoroughly annoyed by the situation but he made no move to protest as he was examined by a woman who had introduced herself as Squad Four Captain Retsu Unohana. He didn't think that there was any need for a medical evaluation but had been out voted by Ukitake and Unohana.

And the boy got the feeling that you shouldn't argue with the two of them. They seemed nice enough on the outside but he had no desire to see them angry. Now Toushirou had no idea what caused this feeling of wariness, especially since both Ukitake and Unohana looked so kind, but he decided that he should probably trust it. In cases like this it was always better to ere on the side of caution.

So he complied with the physical, even though he wasn't happy about the situation.

"There now," Captain Unohana said once she'd completed the exam. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

"It was," Toushirou said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And it was completely unnecessary."

Captain Unohana merely smiled and motioned for Ukitake to follow her toward the door. Leaving the scowling boy in the exam room she stepped out into the hallway with the Head Captain. "I can't find anything physically wrong with him. Which leads me to believe that he doesn't want to remember what happened to him."

"So is there any way to cure this affliction?" Head Captain Ukitake asked, concerned for the child that he had just met.

"Time is the only thing that can heal psychological wounds," Unohana replied, her gentle eyes focused on the door behind which the boy was most likely still scowling. "His mind has to come to terms with whatever caused him to forget."

"I see," Ukitake said, once again running a hand through his long hair. "Thank you very much Retsu."

"No problem," Unohana said, offering her long time friend a smile that she reserved solely for him.

Reaching out Ukitake opened the door and stuck his head inside. "Come on Toushirou. You've been given the all clear."

Hoping down from the exam table Toushirou grabbed the sword that he had propped against the wall. He refused to let the sword out of his sight and there was nothing that anyone could say to make him change his mind.

There was something important about the sword; he just wasn't quite sure what that something was.

**_"You'll find out soon enough little one…"_**

Toushirou glanced around the room but it soon became apparent that no one else had heard the strange voice. Shaking his head the white haired youth continued toward the door.

As though not being able to remember his own name wasn't bad enough, now he was hearing voices.

"Can this day get any worse?" he muttered as he fell into step behind the Head Captain. He really hoped that it couldn't but at this point the boy just didn't know.

His mind was a complete blank up until the point that Urahara had found him and Toushirou found himself wondering what exactly could make someone forget their entire life.

"Must have been something bad," he vaguely thought to himself as he and Ukitake made their way toward the exit. The moment they stepped back out into the courtyard Toushirou drew up short, his teal eyes widening as his gaze fell upon tiny specks of white falling from the sky.

Snow.

"Well would you look at that," Ukitake said, holding out his hand and catching a couple of the snowflakes in his palm. "It hasn't snowed in Soul Society in centuries."

Ukitake turned to see the boy's reaction and the smile immediately faded from his face. Toushirou's eyes were wide and horrified, as though the sight of the falling snow was actually terrifying him. "Toushirou..."

The boy didn't even acknowledge the fact that Ukitake was speaking to him; he simply continued to stare blankkly ahead at the falling snow. There was something about the snow... it was almost as though the flecks of white were trying to tell him something. Something that he didn't want to know.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed chapter two, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	3. Snow

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Three - Snow

Ukitake noticed that the sight of the snow seemed to have unlocked something in the boy's mind but he wasn't sure what. However, judging by the look in his eyes, it wasn't good. Toushirou's muscles had tensed the moment he had laid eyes on the falling snow and he had yet to relax. Something was definitely freaking him out, this fact was painfully obvious, and it made Ukitake want to do something to ease the boy's tension.

Reaching out, Ukitake placed what was meant to be a comforting hand on the white haired youth's shoulder. Unfortunately the touch caused Toushirou to jump as though he had been burned.

Whirling around the boy gazed at Ukitake, fear evident in his large teal eyes. The blank expression had faded, possibly by the touch, and now the kid was shaking. This could be due to the rapidly falling temperature or, more likely, it could have something to do with whatever trauma had caused the young boy to lose all of his memories.

Either way it was evident that the white haired youth was suffering.

"Come Toushirou," Ukitake said, his voice kind as he once again reached out toward the boy. "I'm sure you're exhausted. We should head back to the Squad One barracks."

Toushirou nodded, his mind still occupied by thoughts that he didn't understand. He felt completely chilled to the bone but instinctively he knew that this had nothing to do with the cold outside.

He wasn't certain as to the reason why but he seemed completely unaffected by the chill in the air.

No, it was something internal that was causing his blood to run cold. It was as though the snow was whispering to him, trying to tell him why he couldn't remember.

And it was as though his mind was fighting that knowledge.

"_Calm down little one… Don't push yourself so hard. You'll remember everything in time."_

There was that strange voice again; Toushirou was still confused about it but for some reason the sound of the voice gave him comfort.

Thoughts still focused on his lack of memories, as well as the strange voice, Toushirou followed along behind Ukitake. The white haired man led the way back to the Squad One barracks but, instead of returning to the office, Ukitake led the way up a flight of stairs. He came to a stop in front of a closed door and turned his attention back to the child who was following him.

"Toushirou…"

Snapping out of his thoughts the boy gazed up at Ukitake, a questioning look in his teal eyes. "Yes?"

"You may use this room for the time being," the Head Captain said, offering Toushirou a kind smile. "You should probably go and get some rest."

"Thank you," Toushirou said in a quiet voice, bowing politely to Ukitake.

"Don't mention it," Ukitake said, reaching out and placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Toushirou nodded and, reaching out, slid the door open. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a small desk and chair, as well as a lamp. There was a futon and a blanket in the open closet and that was all.

But it was clean and it was comfortable. And Toushirou was fairly certain that it would be better than sleeping outside.

Walking over to the closet Toushirou pulled out the futon, which he placed in one corner of the room. With a sigh the young boy placed his sword beside the futon and then crawled under the blanket. He was exhausted but his mind wouldn't allow him to sleep. There were simply too many things running through his mind for him to be able to drift off to the desired state of blissful unconsciousness.

His thoughts kept returning to the sight of the falling snow and the horror that it had brought him.

"What could this mean?"

* * *

Having done an exhaustive amount of research on the strange youth that he had discovered out in the Rukongai, Urahara decided that he needed to meet with the Head Captain and report his findings. Or, to be more precise, his lack of findings.

Making his way across the Seireitei once more, Urahara soon arrived at the Squad One barracks. He quickly made his way to Ukitake's office, where he knocked politely on the door.

All the while getting the distinct feeling that he'd done this before.

"Enter."

Sliding the door open the Squad Twelve Captain once again entered the Head Captain's office. His gaze shifted around the room and he saw that Ukitake was seated at a low table in the center of the office.

"Welcome Kisuke," Ukitake said, offering Urahara a welcoming smile. He gestured toward the tea pot and a couple of extra cups that were sitting beside it. It looked as though he had been expecting guests. "You've arrived just in time for tea."

Urahara made his way across the office and sat down at the table, accepting the tea that was offered to him by the Head Captain. "Thank you." He took a sip of the tea and then focused his gaze once more on Ukitake. "So where's the boy?"

"Upstairs," Ukitake replied after taking a sip of his own tea. "I took him to Squad Four, to make sure that he was healthy, and when we left the snowfall seemed to scare him for some reason. I thought that he might want some time alone, to think, so I showed him to the room where he'll be staying."

"I see," Urahara said, thinking about the snow that was still falling. It was odd that it was snowing now, when it hadn't in centuries, but this wasn't the most unusual thing. He had been surprised when he had seen the flecks of white falling from the sky but the reason behind it wasn't high up on his list of priorities at this given moment.

"So did you find out anything?" Ukitake asked, a hopeful expression on his face.

"Nothing," Urahara said, slightly annoyed with his lack of information. He prided himself on the fact that he knew virtually everything that went on in Soul Society and yet he couldn't unravel the mystery that surrounded the white haired child. "There are absolutely no records of him anywhere. He's not recorded in the Rukongai, the Shinigami Academy, nowhere. It seems that this boy arrived in Soul Society without the aid of Konso and completely off the radar."

Ukitake's eyes widened upon hearing this news. To his knowledge this had never happened before and he found himself wondering just what kind of powers Toushirou possessed.

"So he arrived without the aid of a Shinigami," Ukitake said. "And in possession of a zanpaktou. What can this mean?"

Urahara shook his head. "I think it means that we should train him in how to use his powers. After all, I don't need to tell you just how powerful the boy is."

"No," Ukitake said, shaking his head. "You don't. I suppose I'll evaluate his powers and determine whether or not he should be sent to the Academy."

"Good idea," Urahara said, finishing his tea and getting to his feet. "For my part, I'm going to continue to look into this. I know there's an answer out there somewhere and I'm going to find it."

Ukitake nodded, knowing that if anyone could figure things out then it would be Urahara. "Let me know what you find out."

"Right," Urahara said.

Ukitake watched as the Squad Twelve Captain departed and then his gaze shifted back to the cup of tea that he held in his hands. His thoughts once again returned to the white haired boy whom he had left upstairs. The boy's powers were immense but the fact that he had arrived in Soul Society unassisted was strange.

He had thought it impossible and wouldn't have believed it had the words not came from Urahara.

"We'll just have to take things one day at a time," Ukitake said, thinking about himself as much as the child.

A/N - and there's chapter three of this story. Hope that you're enjoying, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	4. Friend

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Four - Friend

Toushirou had been informed by Head Captain Ukitake that his powers would be tested that evening and the boy found that he wasn't exactly certain how he felt about that. He had already overheard conversations between the adults where they spoke of the powers that he possessed but for his part the kid wasn't entirely certain that they knew what they were talking about.

Absently the white haired youth touched the hilt of the sword that he kept with him at all times. Ukitake had given him a sash and now Toushirou wore the sword strapped across his back.

It's presence was comforting but he was still uncertain about it's origins. Perhaps he would learn the truth of it soon but at this point Toushirou was beginning to fear that he would forever be in the dark.

It was frightening not to know anything about yourself but Toushirou refused to give in to the fear. He was not weak and he refused to allow these feelings to overwhelm him.

"_**Stay strong little one…"**_

This voice that seemed to echo through his mind had grown familiar to him in the relatively short time that he had been hearing it and Toushirou no longer tensed whenever he heard it.

This voice brought him comfort and made him feel as though he could keep going, despite all of the uncertainty.

Lost in thought Toushirou had wandered away from the Squad One courtyard and he now found himself in completely unfamiliar surroundings. The boy's teal eyes widened as he realized that he hadn't been paying attention to the direction in which he was walking.

Which of course meant that he had absolutely no idea how to get back.

"Are you lost little boy?"

Toushirou bristled and turned toward the voice that was calling out to him. His searching gaze fell upon a girl, several years older than himself, with dark hair and eyes the color of chocolate. She was gazing at him with a sympathetic expression in her eyes and for some reason that annoyed him. "Don't call me little."

"Oh," the girl said, coming to stand a few feet away from the snowy haired boy. She could feel a chill in the air as she grew closer to him, which aroused her curiosity. "I'm sorry. My name's Momo Hinamori. What's your's?"

Toushirou paused, unsure of how exactly he should answer this question. He didn't know this girl, not that he really knew any of the inhabitants of this place called Soul Society, and he decided to give a noncommittal answer. "Toushirou."

"Toushirou…" Hinamori prompted, waiting for the white haired boy to finish his introduction.

The boy knew that she was looking for a last name to go along with that so he thought about it for a moment longer and said, "Hitsugaya."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Shiro-chan," Hinamori said, offering the boy a broad smile. "So where exactly are you going?"

Toushirou shrugged, not really having had a set destination in mind. He had merely wanted to go out for some fresh air and had somehow found himself here.

Wherever here might be.

However the one thing he knew was that he didn't particularly care for this nickname that the girl had given to him. Narrowing his large teal eyes he said, "Don't call me Shiro-chan."

"Are you from the Rukongai?" Hinamori asked, concern for the small boy evident in her eyes as she managed to completely ignore his annoyance over how she had addressed him. She didn't know how he had managed to get into the Seireitei but if someone found him then he could get into a lot of trouble.

"Not really," Toushirou said, shrugging his shoulders once again. "I'm staying with Head Captain Ukitake."

Hinamori's eyes widened upon hearing this and she gazed at the boy with new interest. And it was in this moment that she noticed the large sword that he was wearing strapped across his back.

Could it…

Was it possible that this little boy was in possession of a zanpaktou?

Hinamori couldn't deny the fact that she felt a tremendous amount of reiatsu radiating from this small boy but what did it mean? She had never seen him around before but surely someone of his obvious power level would be enrolled in the Academy.

Shaking her head Hinamori decided that she could find out the answers to these questions later. For now she should probably help the boy find his way back to Squad One before someone else saw him and mistook him for an intruder.

Reaching out she seized hold of one of Toushirou's hands. "Come along Shiro-chan, and I'll take you back to Squad One!"

"Don't call me that!" Toushirou snapped as the strange girl began to pull him along by the hand.

Hinamori merely laughed as she led the way across the Seireitei toward the Squad One barracks. This strange little boy definitely had a temper but Hinamori was fairly certain that he was nice, underneath it all.

Pulling Toushirou along behind her Hinamori quickly made her way to the Squad One barracks and, when they arrived, she saw that Head Captain Ukitake was standing at the entrance to the courtyard. Coming to a stop she bowed politely to the leader of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

Ukitake nodded politely to the young girl and then his eyes focused on the disgruntled boy whose hand she was still holding. "There you are Toushirou. I was beginning to wonder where you'd disappeared off to."

"I just felt like taking a walk," Toushirou said, pulling his hand free from Hinamori's grip.

"Well I'm glad that you made it back unharmed," Ukitake said with a smile. Then he turned his attention to the young girl. "Thank you."

"You're welcome sir," Hinamori said politely before turning her attention back to the white haired boy. "Maybe we can hang out sometime Shiro-chan."

"I told you not to call me that!" Toushirou barked, his eyes narrowing once again.

But Hinamori merely smiled that infuriating smile as she turned and began to walk away.

"Shiro-chan huh?" Ukitake said as he and the boy turned and entered the courtyard. "I think that's a very fitting nickname."

Toushirou groaned, raising his hand and running it through his snow white hair. Could this day possibly get any worse?

Later on Toushirou would lament the fact that he had ever had this thought. Because, no matter how bad the situation seems at the time, it can always get worse.

"Come Shiro-chan," Ukitake said, his gaze focused on the snowy haired child who stood beside him. "I think it's finally time that we see exactly what you're capable of."

Toushirou nodded, feeling his heart rate begin to speed up. He had known that Ukitake wanted to test these powers that he supposedly possessed but the boy wasn't entirely sure that it was a good idea.

But he couldn't refuse. Not after Ukitake had been so kind to him. So, with a sigh, the boy followed along behind the white haired head captain.

"_**It's going to be okay little one…"**_

"I hope you're right," Toushirou thought, feeling a shiver run down his spine. For some reason he was scared but the boy refused to show this fear.

But that didn't mean that it wasn't there.

A/N - And here's the end of yet another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed. And thank you to everyone who has submitted reviews to this story. They are greatly appreciated.


	5. Trauma

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Five - Trauma

Toushirou followed along behind Head Captain Ukitake, his thoughts shifting wildly. He was supposed to demonstrate powers that he wasn't even certain that he possessed and the boy wasn't entirely certain how he felt about that.

What exactly did these people want from him?

"_You're powers will be a great asset."_

Toushirou jumped as this unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind. It was quite different from the comforting voice that he had grown accustomed to; this one sounded emotionless, cold.

And it caused a shiver to run up Toushirou's spine.

"_Why do I keep hearing these voices?"_ the youth asked himself as he walked along. _"Am I crazy?"_

"_**Fear not little one…" **_It was the familiar, comforting voice once again. The voice that always seemed to know what to say to make him feel better. _**"You aren't crazy and you do have power. Tremendous power."**_

Toushirou shook his head. Everyone, even the voice in his head, kept saying that but he still wasn't sure. He couldn't even remember his own name so how could he be in possession of any kind of power?

It just didn't seem rational to him.

The white haired youth was so lost in thought that he didn't even realize that Ukitake had came to a stop. Which resulted in him bumping into the back of the Head Captain, hard.

"Umph," the boy said, absently reaching up to rub his nose. "Sorry about that. I guess I wasn't paying attention."

"It's alright Shiro-chan," Ukitake said, offering the young boy a smile. He couldn't really blame the child for being lost in his own world, considering everything that had happened to him in a relatively short period of time.

Toushirou let out a barely perceptible sigh at once again being addressed by this childish nickname but let it pass without a word. After everything that Ukitake had done for him he refused to say anything about how the man chose to address him.

No matter how much he wanted to.

And it was a lot.

Shaking his head, to rid himself of these thoughts, Toushirou gazed around at his surroundings. He and Ukitake were now standing in the center of a large, open field. Some sort of training facility most likely.

"There are a few things that I want to test," Ukitake said, his voice kind as he gazed down at the child. "I'm going to teach you some basic kidou chants and I want you to attempt to use them."

"Kidou?" Toushirou repeated, not familiar with the term.

"For lack of a better explanation, kidou are attacks using your reiatsu," Ukitake said. "They are fueled by the energy of your spirit."

"And you think that I have this… reiatsu?" Doubt was evident in Toushirou's voice as he gazed at Ukitake.

"I know that you do," Ukitake said, not even a trace of doubt in his voice. That wasn't the question. "What I'm less certain of is whether or not you will be able to control it."

Toushirou opened his mouth but closed it again before any words came out. Head Captain Ukitake had taken him in when he was brought to this strange place so the least he could do was attempt these kidou moves.

Ukitake saw the determination that burned in the boy's teal eyes and he offered the boy another smile. "Are you willing to give it a try?"

Toushirou nodded.

Ukitake spent the next fifteen minutes teaching Toushirou the spirit chants for a couple of low level kidou spells. Then he took a couple of steps back away from the boy and pointed toward a target that had been set up at the end of the training grounds. "See if you can use the kidou to hit that target."

"Yes sir."

Holding up his hands Toushirou concentrated on the first of the kidou spells that Ukitake had taught him. The youth recited the words, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, but nothing happened.

The boy turned back to Ukitake. "It didn't work."

"Hmm," Ukitake said, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. He hadn't felt the boy's reiatsu increase and he couldn't help but think that perhaps the boy was just too young to harness his reiatsu. Or maybe he just needed a visual demonstration. That would show him the kidou, as well as allow him to experience the surge of reiatsu that it produced.

Perhaps that would help the boy better understand the powers that were inside him and help Toushirou harness them.

It was worth a shot at any rate.

Walking over to the spot where Toushirou was standing Ukitake held out his own hands and fired a blast of reiatsu at the target.

Toushirou froze as he felt a strange energy swirling around him, seeming to awaken things in his mind that he didn't want to think about. This sensation seemed familiar and the boy's teal eyes widened.

The silhouette of a man flashed briefly before the child's eyes, surrounded by shadows and radiating a strange power. And a dark aura.

"_This man…" _Toushirou thought to himself, his eyes widening as a brief flash of memory assaulted him. _"Who is he and…"_

A flash of light and the feeling as though he were being ripped from his body caused Toushirou to retreat within himself. What did this mean? Why did he suddenly feel so scared?

After his kidou demonstration Ukitake once again turned his attention to the small boy who was standing beside him. And the first thing that he noticed was the fact that Toushirou had a terrified expression on his face.

It was the same as when he had seen the falling snow the day before.

"Toushirou…"

A freezing wind began to swirl around the child as he continued to gaze off into the distance, his teal eyes unseeing.

"Toushirou…" Ukitake reached out toward the boy however his hand was knocked away by a fierce blast of reiatsu. Jumping back Ukitake stared at the boy, who was suddenly surrounded by a glowing blue aura. Even his eyes seemed to glow eerily.

The kid's powers were out of control.

"This isn't good," Ukitake muttered to himself as he tried to think of what to do. The kid obviously wasn't in control of his powers and needed to be stopped but Ukitake didn't want to hurt him.

Because none of this was his fault.

Ukitake took a step toward the young boy but was pushed back as the kid's reiatsu exploded, sending shards of ice in all directions. The Head Captain managed to use a barrier kidou just in time to protect himself however the rest of the training grounds weren't as lucky.

Ice now coated everything.

Shivering due to the cold reiatsu that was now surrounding everything Ukitake made a move to approach the boy. Holding up his hands the Head Captain prepared to use a binding kidou. He didn't want to resort to this but he couldn't allow the kid's powers to continue to rage like this.

If he did it could do serious damage not only to the Seireitei but to the boy himself.

But just as he was preparing to use the kidou the blank expression disappeared from the child's eyes, taking with it the swirling reiatsu that surrounded him. Toushirou looked surprised for the briefest of moments before he collapse.

Using his flash-step Ukitake managed to catch the little body before he hit the ground. The Head Captain removed the sword that the child was wearing, securing it across his own back, and then scooped Toushirou up into his arms.

"Looks like we're going back to Squad Four," Ukitake muttered as he gazed down at the child that he held in his arms. The powers that the boy had displayed had been some of the strongest that Ukitake had ever felt, and definitely the strongest that he'd ever felt coming from an untrained soul. But unfortunately it didn't appear as though Toushirou was capable of controlling them yet.

"Perhaps I pushed him too far, too soon." After all Toushirou had just arrived in Soul Society and had immediately been forced to attempt to use powers that he wasn't even aware that he possessed. "Maybe we should give him some time to adjust to this life before we attempt this again."

A/N - Here's another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts.


	6. The Disappearance

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Six - The Disappearance

Once Head Captain Ukitake had given Toushirou over to the care of the members of Squad Four, with a brief description of what had occurred out in the training grounds, the white haired man stepped back out into the hallway. Captain Unohana had informed him that she would send word the moment that they completed the child's treatment but Ukitake didn't want to leave the boy alone.

Because, although Toushirou hadn't said anything and had done his best to hide it, Ukitake had still picked up on the fact that the young boy had been at least a tiny bit frightened the last time that he had been here. And he wanted to be able to offer Toushirou comfort the moment that he regained consciousness.

Many wouldn't understand the feelings; after all, Ukitake had known him for less than a week. But to Ukitake that didn't matter. He had grown fond of Toushirou and he didn't want to see the boy go through any more trauma.

He'd already suffered more than enough for a child his age.

So Ukitake sat down in the corridor to await word of the youth's condition. And as he sat there, with his knees folded under him, he thought about how frequently he visited Squad Four.

And about how strange it was to not be the one being treated by the medical corp.

"Hey Jyuu!"

Ukitake glanced up as he heard the familiar voice calling out to him and he smiled as he watched his best friend walking down the corridor toward him. Wearing his customary pink haori, which was decorated with flowers, Shunsui Kyouraku, Captain of Squad Eight, definitely stood out in a crowd.

"Hello Shunsui," the Head Captain called out as his friend walked toward him. "What brings you to Squad Four?"

"Well," Kyouraku said, his gaze focused on the man that he had been friends with since their days in the Academy. "I was looking for you and since you weren't in your office I thought that the next logical place to look would be here."

"I see," Ukitake said, realizing as he did so that he really must spend way too much time at the medical corp if that was where people chose to search when he wasn't in his office. "Well you found me."

"I did," Kyouraku said as he sat down in the corridor beside his friend. "Although not in the condition that I was expecting."

"I didn't come here for myself," Ukitake said, offering his friend a smile.

"So then does your visit to Squad Four have anything to do with that tremendous reiatsu that rocked the Seireitei earlier?"

Ukitake nodded, his mind flashing back to the moment when Toushirou had lost control of his powers and they had erupted. "The child that I told you about, the one that was found in the Rukongai, was the source of that reiatsu."

Kyouraku was somewhat stunned by this pronouncement. He would never have guessed that such a young child, and one who was completely untrained, would be able to wield such strong powers.

"Unfortunately Toushirou can't control his powers yet," Ukitake said, once again feeling guilty for the fact that he had pushed the child so hard. "And he lost control of them. Captain Unohana said that he's going to be alright though."

"I see," Kyouraku said, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

"So what exactly was it that you were coming to see me about?" Ukitake asked, realizing that his friend was being uncharacteristically serious.

"You recall the large group of Hollow that were assembling in the world of the living?"

Ukitake nodded. Soul Society had received reports that a tremendous group of Hollow had assembled near a small village. Such groupings of Hollow were rare so a group of Shinigami had been sent out to look into the occurrence.

"Well," Kyouraku said, realizing that the news he had to give his friend was going to make him feel even worse than he did currently. "We recently received word that the entire group has completely disappeared."

"All of them?" Ukitake asked, his eyes wide and horrified. "What about Captain Aizen?"

"No trace of their reiatsu can be found," Kyouraku said. "Not even that of the Sousuke. I've dispatched a group to search but so far they've came up with nothing. We can't confirm that they're dead but it doesn't look good."

Ukitake's gaze shifted away from his best friend as his mind struggled to process the news that he'd just been given. He hadn't thought that the group of Hollows gathering had been particularly strong so how had they managed to kill an entire scouting group? And one that was headed by a captain no less.

This didn't make any sense.

"We will continue to search for them," Kyouraku said, picking up on Ukitake's feelings. "And if they're out there anywhere then rest assured that we will find them."

Ukitake nodded. He knew that his friend spoke the truth; if the missing Shinigami were out there somewhere then they would be found.

"What about the Hollow?"

"They seem to have disappeared as well," Kyouraku replied, removing his hat and rubbing the back of his head. "It's almost as though they vanished into thin air."

Now that was really odd. The only explanation for why the Hollow were gathering was that there was something in that village that was attracting them. Therefore the only explanation for why they would have just left was that they got whatever it was that they wanted.

Which boded ill for Soul Society.

"I'll have someone from Squad Twelve look into it," Ukitake said with a sigh. It would only add to the things that Urahara was already investigating but at least he wouldn't be bored that way.

"Good idea," Kyouraku said.

At that moment the door of the exam room opened and the Squad Four vice-captain, Isane Kotetsu, stepped out. She immediately noticed the two captains who were sitting in the corridor and bowed politely to them. "I was just about to come and search for you Head Captain Ukitake," she said in a quiet voice. "The child is awake if you'd like to come and see him."

Ukitake immediately got to his feet, followed closely behind by Kyouraku, and together the two captains entered the room.

The moment that he stepped inside the room Ukitake's gaze shifted about, in search of the child. His eyes focused upon the bed that was located in the center of the room and he saw that Toushirou was lying there however it was only the gentle hand of Captain Unohana that was keeping him in that position. "Toushirou," he said, his voice somewhat stern. "Must you always be so difficult?"

The boy's teal eyes immediately turned toward Ukitake and, underneath the defiance, the Head Captain was certain that he saw a slight trace of fear. Walking over to the child's bedside Ukitake reached out and gently tousled Toushirou's snowy hair. "You're alright so calm down."

Captain Unohana took her hand off the child's shoulder and, although he still didn't look happy, Toushirou made no further attempts to get out of bed.

"What happened?" the child asked, his voice somewhat shaky.

"You don't remember?" Ukitake asked, gazing down at the child.

"Wouldn't be asking if I did," Toushirou muttered.

"I suppose that's true enough," Ukitake said, offering the boy a smile. "Well your reiatsu got somewhat out of control and then you collapsed."

A thoughtful expression appeared on the young boy's face as he tried to recall the incident. Unfortunately, try as he might, Toushirou found that he couldn't remember anything past Ukitake teaching him some basic kidou.

"I'm sorry," Toushirou said, his gaze downcast. Ukitake had stated that his reiatsu had gone out of control which, to him, sounded as though some damage had been done.

Reaching out to the boy once more Ukitake placed a comforting hand on Toushirou's shoulder. "You don't have to apologize Shiro-chan. I shouldn't have expected so much from you. We'll take it slower from now on."

"No," Toushirou said, determination shining in his large teal eyes. Now that he knew that he had powers the boy was determined to learn how to control them.

So that something like this wouldn't happen again.

Hearing the strength in the boy's voice and seeing the determination in his eyes came as something of a shock to the Head Captain. He gazed down at the child; so small to be going through so much. And yet he respected the boy's wish to learn to control his powers. "We'll talk more about it when you're feeling better."

"I feel fine," Toushirou maintained, once again making an attempt to get up.

"You're being difficult again," Ukitake said, giving the boy a look.

Toushirou blew out a frustrated breath but once again discontinued his attempts to leave the bed. Didn't look like he was going to have any luck at it anyway.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Had a little Ukitake/Toushirou bonding moment. And one of our captain's has disappeared.


	7. Resolve

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Seven - Resolve

"Head Captain Ukitake," Captain Unohana said in a quiet voice once the Head Captain had succeeded in calming the white haired child. "May I have a word with you?"

Ukitake nodded and together he and the kind Captain of Squad Four stepped out of the room. Once they were out in the hallway Ukitake turned his gaze in Unohana's direction. "What is it that you wished to speak to me about?"

"The child's reiatsu," Unohana said, her voice low. It was obvious, by both her tone and expression, that she was concerned. "His inability to control such tremendous reiatsu could do damage to his young body."

Ukitake nodded, having thought about this outcome before. "So what do you propose we do?"

"I think we should seal at least a portion of his reiatsu," Unohana suggested. "Then you can work with him on controlling it without the risk of injury… to him or anyone else."

Ukitake thought about this suggestion for a few minutes, having mixed feelings about it. But in the end he reached the conclusion that he had to do what was in the best interests of both the child and Soul Society. And the truth was that until the boy could fully control his powers he was both a danger to himself and to others. So, although he was somewhat reluctant to do so, he nodded his head. "Do what you have to do."

Captain Unohana nodded.

* * *

After a brief stay in the Squad Four infirmary Toushirou was released, which was a good thing because the boy was beginning to grow irritated with the situation.

Head Captain Ukitake was there when the kid was released of course, having spent most of his time at Squad Four, and the two made their way back to the Squad One barracks together.

Most of the trip was made in silence, with each lost in their own thoughts, however the silence was broken when they entered the courtyard. Ukitake continued walking toward the entrance but Toushirou came to a stop several yards away.

"Shiro-chan," Ukitake said, noticing that the boy was no longer following along behind him. He turned a questioning gaze toward the child.

"I want to train," the white haired youth said, determination shining bright in his teal eyes.

"Don't you think that you should rest for awhile?" Ukitake asked the boy, concern evident in his kind eyes. "You were just released from the infirmary so…"

"There's nothing wrong with me," Toushirou said, interrupting the words of his surrogate father. "Except for the fact that I can't control my powers."

Ukitake wanted to further protest the fact that the kid already wanted to train, less than an hour after being released from Squad Four, but there was something about the boy's demeanor that caused him to change his mind. The look in his eyes made it apparent that the child wasn't going to take no for an answer on this which meant that he was going to have to give in. If the child was so resolved to train then perhaps it would be for the best if he helped the kid.

"Alright Toushirou," he said, turning away from the front entrance and walking back across the courtyard toward the spot where the white haired child was standing.

"Thank you," Toushirou said quietly.

Ukitake nodded, hoping as he did so that this training session would end better than the previous one. With a portion of Toushirou's reiatsu sealed he should be better able to control his powers.

Or at least that was what the Head Captain was hoping for.

Together Ukitake and Toushirou walked over to the edge of the courtyard, where a target had been placed. The Head Captain gazed back and forth between the target and the boy for a moment. "Alright Toushirou. Do you remember the spirit chants that I taught you?"

Toushirou nodded, determined to practice until he was able to perform the kidou spells that Ukitake had taught him.

It hadn't worked so well the last time but the child was determined that he would do it this time.

No matter how much he had to work at it.

Toushirou held out his hands and whispered the spirit chant, a look of concentration in his teal eyes. For his part Ukitake stepped to the side and kept his eyes focused on the child.

He wanted to be prepared should anything happen.

"Red Flame Cannon!"

Ukitake's eyes widened as he watched the red burst of reiatsu erupt from the white haired youth's hands and fly toward the target. He was completely amazed when the target exploded and he couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face.

"Well done Toushirou."

Toushirou smiled despite himself as he gazed back at Ukitake. He had known that he could perform the kidou spell but even the child was surprised that he managed to do it on the first try this training session.

Unfortunately now he felt completely drained and this fact was proven by the sudden slump in his posture.

"Alright," Ukitake said, noticing the change in the boy. "I think that's enough for today Toushirou."

"But…"

"No buts," Ukitake said, holding up his hand to halt the boy's protests. "Come along Shiro-chan."

Toushirou would have liked to protest further but he realized that he didn't have the energy to practice further. So he reluctantly fell into step behind Ukitake and followed the Head Captain into the Squad One barracks.

Once inside Ukitake led the way down the corridor to his office and, once inside, he turned to face the boy. Reaching into the sleeve of his haori Ukitake pulled out a handful of sweets, which he pressed into the arms of the protesting kid.

"Wait… but I…"

Ukitake ignored the boy's protests. This time he was the one who wasn't willing to take no for an answer. "You should go up to your room and get some rest. I have work to do but I'll check on you later."

Toushirou sighed and then nodded. Turning away from the Head Captain he left the office and made his way up to the room that had been his since his arrival here in the Seireitei.

"That man's hopeless…" he muttered as he sat down at the small desk that was positioned at the far end of the room.

And yet there was a small smile on his face that he was glad that no one could see.

Toushirou sighed, the smile leaving his face as he thought about the powers that he supposedly possessed. It seemed strange to him that he had been able to control them this time when it had been completely impossible the first time.

"I wonder what was different about this time?" the white haired youth thought to himself.

Something must have changed; that was the only way to explain his sudden ability to control and harness his powers.

"Hmm," the boy said thoughtfully as he gazed across the room. His eyes weren't really focused on anything, he was merely staring blankly. There were so many things that didn't make sense and he wanted to know why that was. "I guess things will eventually make sense."

"_**Fear not little one… Things will get better and then you will be able to seize and control your full power."**_

"Full power…" Toushirou repeated, his voice low as he thought about the words of the voice that echoed in his mind.

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please be kind and leave a review.


	8. Finding My Place

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Eight - Finding My Place

So many things had happened in the last couple of weeks and Toushirou found himself needing some time alone to process all that had occurred. Having been spending most of his time in the small room that he called home the young boy decided that a walk would be just the thing to clear his mind and help him to think. So the boy descended the stairs from his room and made his way to the office of Head Captain Ukitake.

When the boy reached the office he knocked lightly on the door and then stepped back, to wait.

"Enter."

Sliding the door open Toushirou stepped inside the office, his gaze going immediately to the figure who sat behind the large desk at the far end of the office. As expected Ukitake was working on a stack of paperwork but he looked up as the boy entered his domain.

In the weeks that had passed since the child's arrival Ukitake had shown that he was always glad for a visit from the boy.

"Welcome Shiro-chan," Ukitake called out cheerfully, offering the young boy a broad smile. "And what brings you to my office today?"

"I want to go for a walk," Toushirou replied, trying his best not to comment on the man's usage of the nickname that he hated. "And I thought I should let you know."

"That's fine," Ukitake said, pleased that the child had informed him of his plans. He would have been concerned if he had gone searching for Toushirou and had been unable to locate him. After all the white haired youth was almost like his son at this point. "Have fun."

Taking this as permission to leave Toushirou turned around and left the office, closing the door behind him. The white haired youth then left the Squad One barracks and made his way to the gate that separated the compound from the rest of the Seireitei.

"I just need some time to think," Toushirou thought to himself as he began to walk away from the Squad One barracks.

And there was a great deal for him to think about.

The boy had been working on the kidou that Ukitake had taught him and could now perform all of the moves. Flawlessly. And yet at the same time whenever he felt the flair of reiatsu he had these strange visions.

A shadowy figure standing over him.

Toushirou couldn't place the memory but was fairly certain that it had something to do with the past that he couldn't remember. The past that his mind had sought to repress.

"Shiro-chan!"

Toushirou cringed as he heard this happy voice calling out a nickname that he loathed. He didn't even need to turn his head to know who it was that was calling out to him.

It was Momo, that annoying girl from before.

"What do you want?" Toushirou asked as Momo came to stand beside him. The boy had been walking through the Seireitei, once again lost in thought, but he stopped in his tracks as he was joined by the strange girl.

"I was just curious about why you're out here all alone," Momo said, her gaze focused on the white haired youth. "Are you lost again?"

"No," Toushirou said, a slight note of irritation in his voice. He wasn't happy about the fact that she'd chosen to bring up that incident and somehow knew, without really knowing how he knew, that he would never live it down. "I'm just out for a walk. I know exactly where I am and exactly how to get back."

"Alright then," Momo said, reaching out and tousling his already unruly white hair. It wasn't a conscious movement on her part, just something that she did on impulse.

And the young boy didn't like it.

Toushirou pulled away from her touch and turned to glare at her through narrowed teal eyes. "Don't do that!" he snapped, feeling his irritation rise.

He wasn't comfortable with physical contact, for some unknown reason.

A shiver went down Momo's spine as she felt the air around her grow suddenly colder. This feeling was followed by a crushing feeling that made it more difficult to breathe.

The feeling of high reiatsu.

Momo gazed at this boy through wide brown eyes, not having realized that he was so powerful. Of course she'd realized that he possessed reiatsu but this was on a level that she hadn't been expecting.

A level that frightened her to some extent.

"_Calm down little one…"_

Hearing the familiar voice echoing through his mind Toushirou realized that he had allowed his powers to surge and the boy made a conscious effort to rein them in. This was yet another thing that he had been working on in the weeks since his first, disastrous attempt at using kidou and it was also the thing that he was having the most difficulty with.

The kidou was fairly easy to master but control over his own power was proving to be more elusive.

"You know Shiro-chan," Momo said, her gaze locked on the young boy who was standing beside her. "You really should go to the Academy. With powers like those you could definitely get in."

Toushirou thought about the girl's words for a moment, mulling over them in his mind. He had heard of the Shinigami Academy of course but had never given thought to attending classes there.

But now he decided that this was a good idea. Perhaps this would make it easier for him to learn to control his powers.

At least that was the thought that went through his mind as he made the decision to ask Ukitake for permission to take the entrance exam for the Academy.

"Thanks," the boy muttered before abruptly turning away from Momo and dashing away.

"You're… welcome…" Momo said as she watched the boy disappear. She hadn't expected this reaction from the boy and was somewhat shocked that he had just ran off like that.

Had she said something that she shouldn't have?

After leaving Momo standing in the middle of the path, looking completely bewildered, Toushirou quickly made his way back to the office of the Head Captain and when he arrived he once again knocked lightly on the door.

And he once again received the same summons to enter.

Sliding the door open the white haired youth once again stepped inside the office, closing the door behind him. Then the boy quickly made his way across the office, determination glowing brightly in his teal eyes.

"Welcome back Shiro-chan," Ukitake said as his gaze once again focused on his young charge. He was somewhat confused by the boy's sudden reappearance in his office but didn't let this feeling show as he addressed the youth. "What can I do for you this time?"

"I would like your permission to take the Academy's entrance exam," Toushirou said, his voice never wavering.

Ukitake was somewhat taken by surprise by this request from the young boy and all he could do was stare at Toushirou for a few minutes. He wasn't entirely sure that this was a good idea but in the end decided to grant the child's request.

"Alright Toushirou," Ukitake finally said, making his decision. "If it's really what you want then you have my permission to take the exam."

"Thank you," Toushirou said in a quiet voice, hoping that joining the Academy would help him to find his place in this world.

A world that was now his home.

A/N - And here's another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please be kind enough to leave a review and share your thoughts. They are always appreciated.


	9. Academy Bound

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Nine - Academy Bound

Toushirou took the tests required for admission into the Shinigami Academy and, three days later, the results were in. Head Captain Ukitake summoned the white haired boy to his office, the folder with Toushirou's test results positioned on the desk in front of him.

A smile was fighting to spread across his face but the Head Captain managed to keep it at bay. When he heard a knock on his door Ukitake forced a neutral expression on his face.

"Enter."

Ukitake watched as the door slid open, revealing the white haired boy. Toushirou stepped into the office, closed the door behind him, and walked across the room. "You wished to speak to me sir?"

"Yes Toushirou," Ukitake said, his gaze focused on the boy. "I received your test results today and I thought you'd like to know."

Toushirou nodded, his teal eyed gaze focused on Ukitake.

"Well I must say that I was surprised," Ukitake began and watched as a look of confusion appeared in the young boy's eyes. "Not only did you pass but you made the highest score on record…"

Ukitake let that comment hang there for a moment, enjoying the boy's reaction. The look in Toushirou's eyes went from one of confusion to one of amazement. It seemed that, while the boy had known that he would pass, he was somewhat shocked to learn that he'd broken a record.

"So," he continued once he'd given the boy a couple of minutes to recover. "As of tomorrow you are the youngest student in Academy history. Congratulations Toushirou."

At this point Ukitake allowed the smile to spread across his face. Pride for the youth shone in his eyes as he gazed at Toushirou. He was convinced that this strange child would make an excellent Shinigami and was looking forward to watching his progress.

Almost like a proud father would watch his only son.

Reaching down Ukitake picked something up from the floor before once again focusing his gaze on Toushirou. "Here's your uniform," he said as he offered the folded bundle of clothing to the boy. "And class begins tomorrow morning at eight a.m. sharp."

"Thank you sir," Toushirou said as he took the folded clothing from the Head Captain.

"Well I'm sure that you want to go and tell Momo the good news," Ukitake said, ignoring the scowl that appeared on the boy's face.

Toushirou took this as permission to leave. Bowing politely to the Head Captain, the boy turned and walked across the office. Sliding the door open he left the office and quickly made his way upstairs to his own room.

The boy entered his room and tossed his newly acquired uniform onto the futon. He hadn't bothered to put it away that morning, which was slightly out of character for him. But Toushirou had been preoccupied with his thoughts that morning and just hadn't bothered.

And he had no intention of putting it away now.

Toushirou was feeling slightly restless, his thoughts now more jumbled than ever. He wanted to go somewhere to clear his thoughts so, after grabbing his sword, the boy left his room.

As he descended the stairs Toushirou tied the sash that secured his sword across his back. He didn't really have the slightest idea where he was going; he just needed some time to think.

Once he left the Squad One barracks, Toushirou quickly made his way to the barrier wall that separated the Seireitei from the Rukongai. Toushirou wasn't exactly certain what was prompting this trip but his mind was made up.

He was going to return to the river where he had been found. That seemed like as good a place as any to sit and think. And hopefully he wouldn't be interrupted.

Toushirou vividly recalled the day that he had been found by the Squad Twelve Captain so it wasn't all that difficult to make his way back to the spot. The river was flowing serenely, surrounded by large trees. Overall a very peaceful atmosphere.

Walking over to a particularly large tree Toushirou sat down, pulling his knees up to his chest. The young boy wrapped his arms around his knees in a protective manner and gazed out at the river. The water almost seemed to hypnotize the boy and a void expression appeared in his teal eyes.

And a shadowy figure appeared in his mind's eye.

"You will be very useful…"

Cold air seemed to circulate around the youth, causing Toushirou to snap back to reality. A shiver ran down the boy's spine and he gazed around.

And watched as snowflakes gently fell around him.

"What does this mean?" the boy asked himself as he continued to watch the snow fall. None of it made any sense to the boy but he vowed that he would figure out what was going on.

Vowed that he would uncover the secrets that seemed to surround his very existence.

"I'm going to figure this out," he thought, determination blazing in his teal eyes. After observing the Shinigami it was obvious to Toushirou that he wasn't normal; now he only had to find out why that was so.

"Shiro-chan!"

Toushirou bit back a scathing reply as he turned and watched Momo approaching the spot where he was sitting. He still despised that nickname and really wished that the girl would stop using it. But this didn't appear to be a likely outcome. "What do you want Momo? For that matter how did you even find me?"

"That's simple," Momo said, offering the boy a smile as she sat down beside him. "I followed your reiatsu signal."

"Of course," Toushirou muttered. "Let me ask you something; is there a way to hide reiatsu?"

Momo nodded. "It's a simple enough thing to do."

Toushirou vowed that this would be one of the first things he learned during his training. Because it seemed like an incredibly useful skill to have. "So back to my first question. What are you doing here?"

Momo shrugged as she continued to gaze at the boy. "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. I felt your reiatsu flare and that worried me."

"I'm fine," Toushirou said, not really sure if this statement was the truth or in fact a lie. While he was physically fine the fact remained that there was definitely something going on with him. But until he figured out exactly what it was Toushirou wasn't willing to discuss it with anyone.

"I'm glad," Momo said, offering the boy a smile. "So what brought you all the way out here Shiro-chan?"

"Toushirou," the boy corrected. "And I just came out here to think."

"So what are you thinking about?" Momo pressed, feelings of curiosity overwhelming her. There was something intriguing about this boy and she found herself drawn to him.

"Different things," Toushirou replied truthfully, the shadowy figure once again looming in his mind. "But mostly about what the Academy will be like."

"You made it into the Academy?!" Momo exclaimed, her eyes widening at the news. She had known that the boy had strong reiatsu but even she hadn't expected this. "Shiro-chan that's amazing!"

"Toushirou," the boy once again corrected.

"So when do you start?" Momo asked, completely ignoring the correction. She was excited for the boy and couldn't hide this fact.

"Tomorrow," Toushirou replied in a calm voice. He had mixed feelings about the fact that he was starting the Academy but was determined not to let anyone see this indecision. It was his problem and he fully intended to work through it on his own, without anyone's interference.

"That's amazing!" Momo squealed, reaching over and wrapping her arms around the boy's shoulders.

"Get off!" Toushirou pulled away from the girl, a glaring look in his teal eyes. Irritated the boy got to his feet. "I'm going back now."

"Okay," Momo called out as the boy walked away. "I'll see you at the Academy tomorrow!"

Toushirou sighed. "I think this may be more than I bargained for."

A/N - End of another chapter. Hope that you enjoyed, please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	10. First Day

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Ten - First Day

The sun hadn't even risen yet when Toushirou opened his eyes on the day that he was scheduled to begin classes at the Academy. The boy groaned under his breath and sat up. The fact that darkness met his gaze didn't really sit well with the boy however the white haired youth fully realized that he wasn't likely to be able to go back to sleep.

There were simply too many thoughts bouncing around in his mind.

Heaving a sigh Toushirou got to his feet and quickly folded up his blanket and futon, placing them back in the closet. Grabbing the uniform that Ukitake had provided for him the kid quickly got dressed for his first day of class.

The blue and white uniform resembled the shihakushos that the Shinigami wore, aside from the coloring. As he tied the sash of his pants Toushirou's teal eyes shifted to the spot where he had left the sword. Ukitake had told him that he would have to leave it in his room but the boy was reluctant to do so.

FLASHBACK

"Here's your uniform Toushirou," Ukitake said, offering the boy a bundle of folding up clothing. "Classes begin tomorrow and there's something that I wish to discuss with you."

"What is it sir?" Toushirou asked as he accepted the bundle of clothes.

"I'm afraid that you're going to have to leave your sword in your room," Ukitake said, hoping that the boy took this news well. He knew that Toushirou was attached to the sword and hoped that he wouldn't protest about the order to leave it behind when he attended classes.

"Why?" Toushirou asked, confusion evident in his teal eyes. He was never without the sword and didn't really like the thoughts of leaving it behind.

"Only those in the final year are supposed to have their zanpaktou," Ukitake said, his voice kind as he gazed at the child.

Toushirou thought about the man's words for a few minutes before he nodded his head in understanding. He was by no means happy about the prospect of leaving his sword behind, because he felt better when it was nearby. But he did understand Ukitake's reasoning and would abide by his wishes.

"I understand," the boy said in a quiet voice.

END FLASHBACK

"I really do understand," Toushirou thought to himself as he sat down at the small desk. "But that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

Reaching out Toushirou pulled forward the single book that was resting on the desk. Ukitake had given him the book about kidou techniques so that he could do a little independent study before beginning the Academy. And, even though the boy had already finished the book, he began to thumb back through it.

He just needed something to kill the time before class was scheduled to begin.

* * *

After a couple of hours of reading back through the kidou book Toushirou got to his feet. The boy spent a couple of minutes stretching and then made his way over to the door. It wasn't yet time for class but Toushirou had decided that it was time for him to leave his room.

He could always find something else to do in order to burn some time. And he was tired of reading the same material and needed something else to occupy his mind.

So, with one last look at the sword that was propped up in the corner, Toushirou left his room. The boy made his way downstairs and, without really having a destination in mind, made his way toward the Head Captain's office.

When he arrived at the office Toushirou knocked politely and then waited for a response.

And he didn't have to wait long. "Enter."

Reaching out Toushirou slid the door open and stepped inside the office. His teal eyes surveyed the room and he found Ukitake sitting on the sofa, along with his best friend Captain Kyouraku. Both of them were holding cups and Toushirou could guess that Ukitake's held tea while Kyouraku's most likely contained sake.

Each man's respective drink of choice.

"I'm sorry," Toushirou said, not having expected Ukitake to have a visitor.

"It's no big deal kid," Kyouraku said, offering the white haired youth a broad smile. "Come on in and join us."

Toushirou still looked doubtful but never the less made his way across the office. He stopped a few feet from the sofa and gazed at Ukitake. "I just came to tell you that I'm leaving."

"It's still a little early," Ukitake said, gazing at the kid in an appraising sort of way.

"I know," Toushirou said. "But I'm going to go for a walk before I go to the Academy. I need to clear my head."

"Alright," Ukitake said, offering the boy a smile. "Have a good day Toushirou."

The white haired youth nodded, bowed to the two captains, and then turned to leave. He quickly made his way across the office and back out into the corridor. "Have a good day," he muttered to himself as he left Squad One.

After departing from Squad One Toushirou made his way across the Seireitei. He was traveling in the direction of the Academy but wasn't really in any great hurry to get there. He had plenty of time after all and a lot on his mind that he needed to sort through.

Unfortunately his inner musings would have to be put on hold.

"Shiro-chan!"

Toushirou cringed as he heard this nickname that he was beginning to loathe. Why did so many people insist on using it? Okay, so it was only Ukitake and Momo but it seemed like a great deal more.

Turning around Toushirou focused his teal eyes on Momo, who was making her way toward him. "I've asked you not to call me that Momo."

Completely ignoring his displeasure Momo offered her friend a smile. "So today's your first day of class! Are you excited?"

Toushirou shrugged. "Not really."

He wanted to learn how to use the powers that he possessed because he was hopeful that it might help him remember his past. But he wasn't exactly excited about sitting in class with a large group of other students.

Crowds made him uncomfortable.

"You'll do fine," Momo said, thinking that perhaps he was nervous.

Toushirou shrugged again.

"Come on," Momo said, seizing him by the hand. "You can walk to the Academy with me."

"So much for sorting through my thoughts," Toushirou thought to himself as Momo pulled him along. With a sigh he gave up his attempts at thought and simply followed along behind the strange girl.

She made absolutely no sense to him.

The moment that they passed through the gate that led into the Academy, Toushirou pulled his hand free from Momo's grasp. Gazing around, the white haired youth watched the other students who were milling about.

They all appeared to be a great deal older than he was.

"This isn't going to go well," Toushirou thought to himself. But of course that didn't mean that he was willing to back out now. The youth was determined to learn to control his powers and then confront the past that his mind didn't want to remember.

"First day," he muttered as he walked forward.

A/N - and here's another chapter! Toushirou starts his career at the Academy. Hope that you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	11. Child Prodigy

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Eleven - Child Prodigy

Toushirou had been convinced that his first day as a student at the Shinigami Academy wouldn't go well but he could honestly say that he hadn't expected for it to be boring. And yet that was exactly the impression that he was getting as he listened to the instructor's lecture. It seemed never ending and it was all about things that the white haired youth had already read in the books that Ukitake had given him.

In fact it was so bad that Toushirou began to anticipate the words that were going to come out of the man's mouth. "Is he just quoting the introduction that's in the textbook word for word?" the youth thought to himself.

"Hitsugaya!"

It took the young boy to register the last name that he had chosen for himself on a whim but when he did Toushirou glanced up to find the instructor standing over him. There was a slightly irritated expression on the man's face as he gazed down at the boy. "Yes?"

"Am I boring you?" the instructor demanded, a scowl on his face.

Toushirou briefly thought about his reply, a thoughtful expression in his teal eyes. He fully realized how the answer he was about to give would sound but it was the truth. "Very much so."

This response from the boy didn't serve to improve the man's mood. "Well if I'm boring you then perhaps you'd like to explain the concept of reiatsu to your classmates?"

Toushirou felt that he could quote the textbook just as well as the instructor and, without hesitation, the white haired boy got to his feet. He gave a brief explanation on reiatsu and then turned his gaze back to the instructor. "Was that acceptable sir?"

The man's eyes widened in shock, not having expected the boy to actually be able to complete his lecture. And although he wanted to be angry at the slightly arrogant boy he found that he simply couldn't. "It was acceptable, you may resume your seat."

Without so much as another word Toushirou sat back down and resumed being bored out of his mind.

* * *

After allowing the students to have a break for a mid-day meal the instructor led the way out to the training grounds. Then, once they were all assembled before a line of targets, the instructor addressed his charges. "Alright. Now we're going to take what we've learned about reiatsu manipulation and attempt to use practical kidou. And don't worry if you don't get it on the first attempt, that's rare for students."

Having barely managed to make it through the morning of lectures without falling asleep Toushirou found himself grateful that they were going to work on kidou. Of course the moment that the instructor began teaching them the chant for Red Flame Cannon his hopes were dashed. He'd already learned this particular move and could perform it without difficulty.

"So much for relieving the boredom," the white haired youth thought to himself with a sigh.

Toushirou made it a point to keep his mouth shut and he managed to keep his teal eyes focused on the targets. He watched as one after another of his classmates attempted to blast the targets with the kidou. A few of them actually did manage to form the ball of reiatsu but none of them hit the target.

"Hitsugaya-kun! You're up."

"Yes sir."

Toushirou got to his feet, bowed to the instructor, and then took his stance. Holding out his arms the white haired boy concentrated, summoning his reiatsu into his palm. Then, without even bothering to recite the spirit chant, Toushirou released the blast. His teal eyes were focused on the target and he wasn't even remotely surprised as he watched the target explode.

"Well done Hitsugaya-kun."

"Thank you sir," Toushirou said without enthusiasm as he took his spot among his classmates.

* * *

The first year students spent the remainder of the day working on kidou, having been instructed to practice Red Flame Cannon until they could successfully hit the target. And Toushirou had been forced to endure yet more boredom since he had destroyed five targets in rapid succession and promptly been excused from the exercise.

This was far from ideal for the young boy and didn't serve to endear him to any of his classmates. Of course none of them said anything about it while they were within earshot of their instructor however, the moment that they were dismissed for the day, Toushirou was accosted by a group of them.

"Look at the little brat…" one boy called out as two others seized Toushirou by the arms. "Thinks he's so smart."

Growling low in his throat Toushirou quickly pulled his arms free from their grasp and turned to face the group. Fire snapped in his teal eyes as he glared. It wasn't as though he had any control over the fact that he could perform the kidou while they couldn't. "Back off."

"Or what?" the leader of the group snarled, a slightly demented look in his eyes. He spread out his hands, gesturing toward his friends. "It's not like you can take on all of us."

As though in challenge to the white haired boy the group stepped forward. Toushirou's mind raced as he vaguely recalled something; something almost like a distant memory. The boy shook his head, banishing the flash of thought, and focused on what was happening to him now.

It was triggering memories but Toushirou refused to allow himself to be caught up in that fact. Because his so called classmates seemed like they meant business and the white haired youth didn't want to give them an edge. Thinking back to the books that he had read Toushirou recalled a kidou that seemed tailor made for this situation.

Being less than familiar with this particular kidou Toushirou had to use the spirit chant. However the kidou did prove effective and the two boys who had attempted to grab onto him were immediately immobilized.

"Lesson number one… binding kidou." Having said this Toushirou turned his attention back to the leader of the group, the only one who wasn't affected by his kidou. "Ready for lesson number two?"

"You little freak…"

Toushirou held up his hands but didn't get the chance to actually do anything. The bully briefly glanced down at his immobile friends before he turned tail and ran away. Snorting in disgust Toushirou muttered the incantation that served to release the two boys from the kidou.

The moment that they were free of the binding kidou the two boys jumped to their feet and ran off. They didn't even so much as glance back at the white haired boy.

Sighing softly Toushirou turned and continued on his way toward the courtyard gate. "I should have seen that coming," he muttered to himself in a slightly dejected tone of voice.

A/N - I apologize for the fact that it took me so long to update this story! Please forgive! I hope that you enjoyed it!


	12. Hyourinmaru

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach nor any of it's characters.

Chapter Twelve - Hyourinmaru

After the incident at the Academy Toushirou wanted nothing more than to have some time to himself. There were several things that he wanted to think about and he didn't want anyone to bother him. With this thought in mind Toushirou walked quickly to the Squad One barracks. Slipping inside silently, making sure that he wasn't seen by anyone, the white haired youth made his way up to his room. Once there he quickly grabbed the sword that he had reluctantly left there that morning, securing the sheath across his back.

For some reason he just felt better when he had the sword with him. It wasn't something that he could explain or even attempt to put to words but the fact remained that the feeling was strong. He NEEDED to have the sword with him.

Once he'd retrieved the sword from his room Toushirou left the Squad One barracks, just as silently as he'd entered. Then, even though he was fairly certain that Ukitake wouldn't approve of the decision, the boy made his way to the barrier wall that separated the Seireitei from the Rukongai. Noting the Academy uniform the guard at the gate didn't give him any problems and Toushirou easily passed through to District One of the Rukongai.

"Stupid jerks," the boy muttered to himself as he walked along, thinking back to the boys from the Academy. "It isn't my fault that I'm so much different than everyone else. And it sure as hell isn't as though I asked for all of this to happen."

This caused his thoughts to once again shift to his rather strange arrival in the place called Soul Society. His time in the Academy had served to further drive home the point that he was tremendously different from other Shinigami. He had arrived in Soul Society with a zanpaktou, which to his knowledge had never happened before.

"So why me?" he mused as he walked along through District One.

The white haired youth quickly made his way through the small town that was located near the wall and was now making his way down a wooded trail. Walking through the shadows that were cast upon the ground by the trees that lined the path Toushirou remained lost in thought. There was something very strange going on with him and the boy decided that if he wanted to get to the bottom of things then he was going to have to take an active role in it.

Instead of leaving it to the Shinigami who had found him and taken him in.

The fact remained that the white haired prodigy was inherently grateful for the kindness that they had shown to him but he could no longer leave his fate in the hands of others.

"I will find out what's going on," he declared, a determined note in his voice. Clenching his hands into fists the boy's teal eyes were filled with the same determination.

At this point the boy's thoughts were interrupted by an enraged howl. Glancing around Toushirou found, much to his dismay, that he was now surrounded by Hollow. Glancing around the teal eyed youth quickly counted his enemies, finding himself greatly outnumbered. And, while his kidou skills had increased dramatically, he still didn't think that he would be able to destroy all of them on his own.

"And of course I didn't tell anyone where I was going," Toushirou muttered to himself, internally berating himself for having been so careless. "Stupid."

"_**Call out to me little one…"**_

Hearing the strange, and yet somehow familiar voice, Toushirou whirled around. Of course he wasn't really expecting to find anyone since it was almost as though the voice had echoed through his very mind.

But he didn't have enough to contemplate this strange occurrence as the group of Hollow suddenly lunged toward him. Raising both hands Toushirou shot a burst of Red Flame Cannon in their direction, managing to hit one of them. The Hollow that he had struck screamed and disintegrated but another rose in the ranks to take it's place.

Thinking quickly the next move that Toushirou decided to use was a kidou designed to spread and attack multiple enemies at once. Unfortunately this one was much more advanced that Red Flame Cannon and consequently more difficult to control. And, while he did manage to pull it off, it's affects were less than desirable. Only managing to take care of two of the Hollow; only one more than Red Flame Cannon.

Growling low in his throat the prodigy decided that a change in strategy was in order. Because he had to do something or else he wasn't going to survive this ill advised trip into the Rukongai.

Reaching back the white haired youth drew the sword that he wore secured across his back. Maybe he could use it to take care of more of the Hollow since with the kidou he only seemed to be able to take care of one of them at a time.

Leaping forward Toushirou swung the blade of the sword in the direction of a couple of the Hollow but they easily jumped out of the way. And merely laughed at the boy who was attempting to fight them.

"Damn," Toushirou swore. "This isn't going so well."

"_**Call out to me… I can help."**_

Toushirou opened his mouth to ask who exactly it was that he was supposed to call out to but at that moment the entire group of Hollow rushed him. Holding the handle of the sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white Toushirou swung the blade, at the same time screaming out, "SIT UPON THE FROZEN HEAVENS, HYOURINMARU!"

A light briefly enveloped the blade as the sword transformed. And at the same time a dragon that seemed to be comprised of ice and water erupted from the blade. The dragon quickly soared toward the Hollow, circling them briefly before destroying the entire group in one blow.

Toushirou's eyes widened as he witnessed this and he gazed down at the blade that he held in his hands. It looked slightly different than the sword that he was used to but the boy knew that this was due to the fact that he had invoked his zanpaktou's Shikai.

It's first stage release form.

"Well this was unexpected," he thought to himself, heaving a little sigh. It was the first bit of good luck that he'd had in… well in a long time.

"_**Good job little one…"**_

Toushirou once again heard the voice that was echoing in his head and this time he found himself transported to a strange plain of ice. And found himself face to face with a huge dragon.

"So you're Hyourinmaru," Toushirou said as he gazed up at the dragon, knowing that this was the embodiment of his zanpaktou.

The dragon inclined his head, gazing down at the boy who stood before him. _**"And you are the one destined to wield me, little one."**_

A/N - I am SO sorry for the extremely late update. Had to find some motivation and then life decided to conspire against me. Hope that you enjoyed.


	13. Bond Between Partners

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Thirteen - Bond Between Partners

For a moment all Toushirou could do was stare at the huge dragon that appeared as though it were comprised of ice. He had to incline his neck at a rather odd angle just to look at the creature's head and he felt the beginnings of a crick begin to form.

Which of course he chose to ignore.

After all there were far more pressing issues at hand than a simple sore neck. Gazing at the dragon Toushirou said, "You've been with me from the beginning haven't you?" It was more a statement of fact than an actual question since the white haired boy was almost one hundred percent certain that he already knew the answer.

But he wanted to hear it from Hyourinmaru.

"_**That is correct little one… You and I have always been a part of one another. Partners in the truest sense."**_

"But… if you were there from the beginning then why didn't you show yourself sooner?" There was a confused expression in the boy's large teal eyes as he posed this question. And there was also a trace of something else, a slightly pained look. "If we're partners then why… why did you wait until now to show up?"

"_**I've been keeping my eye on you the entire time little one. Unfortunately you weren't yet strong enough to be able to cope with my powers. However I believe that now you have the necessary strength, both physical and mental."**_

Toushirou was silent for a moment, contemplating the words spoken to him by his zanpaktou. He hadn't been strong enough before but he was now.

"I suppose that makes sense," the boy muttered, although he still didn't sound overly happy.

"_**Don't take that as permission to slack off… Although we are true partners becoming a team is another matter entirely and will require much effort on both our parts. But it is possible if you are committed."**_

Determination replaced all uncertainty in the boy's teal eyes as he nodded his head. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

The dragon inclined it's head to the boy. _**"I'm pleased to hear that Toushirou. Because there is a task that I wish for you to accomplish. It won't be easy but it is necessary none the less."**_

Still holding the blade in his hand, Toushirou tightened his grip on the hilt. "Just tell me what to do."

"_**Do you feel the unfamiliar reiatsu that is radiating from a short distance away?"**_

It was almost masked by the fierce reiatsu that was being radiated by Hyourinmaru himself but when he focused his concentration Toushirou found that he could just pick out an unfamiliar power. "I feel it."

"_**It belongs to a fairly powerful Hollow… much stronger than what you faced here. I want you to find and destroy it."**_

The boy was slightly taken aback by this command, and more than a little annoyed that he hadn't picked up on the Hollow's reiatsu on his own, but he merely nodded his head. If this was what it took for he and his zanpaktou to become a real team then he was willing to track down the Hollow and do whatever it took to kill it.

"Right," he said with a nod.

In a moment the plain of ice had disappeared and Toushirou found himself alone once more. However the comforting presence of Hyourinmaru remained, a feeling that made it seem as though he wasn't alone.

Which, in a sense, he wasn't. No matter where he chose to go there would always be one being that went with him.

The embodiment of his heart and soul.

"Interesting…"

Urahara had been sitting in the garden outside of the Squad Twelve barracks, pointedly avoiding his work, when he felt a fairly large flare of reiatsu. This felt oddly familiar to him and the Squad Twelve captain decided that it was something that he should investigate.

If only for the fact that it would be more fun than doing the endless paperwork that seemed to be piled upon captains.

"I don't know why they make us fill out endless forms," the blond man mused to himself as he made his way across the Seireitei. "Seems like a vast waste of time and energy."

Energy that he could better use doing something else or, more to his tastes, doing absolutely nothing at all.

Walking along an overgrown path in the Rukongai, Toushirou followed the reiatsu signal that was being given off by the Hollow that Hyourinmaru had told him about. It was easy enough to track now that he'd been made aware of it and the child prodigy still found it hard to believe that he'd actually missed it.

Even though it had been masked by Hyourinmaru's massive reiatsu the fact that he had to have it pointed out to him was unacceptable to the boy. "Not something that I'm going to allow to happen again," he muttered darkly to himself.

"_**Focus on the task at hand little one… you're getting close."**_

Listening to the words of his zanpaktou, Toushirou tightened his grip on the sword's hilt. He hadn't bothered to sheath his weapon, wanting to be prepared for whatever he had to face. Because he was determined that he would pass this test and prove himself worthy to the sword that he wielded.

At that moment a screech split the air, startling the boy despite the fact that he was searching for a Hollow. Gazing around he searched for the creature that had made the otherworldly sound, his teal eyes soon focusing on a huge, bird-like Hollow. The creature was massive and had a razor sharp beak that was the color of steel and glinted in the sunlight.

"_**This is it Toushirou… put your trust in me and together we cannot fail."**_

Trust…

It sounded like such a simple word but for Toushirou it was one of the hardest things to give. Having been found abandoned in the Rukongai with absolutely no memories of how he came to be there, the white haired youth didn't exactly trust anyone. Because there was no way for him to know what had happened to him… or who was involved. As a precaution he had kept his guard up around everyone, even Ukitake to a certain extent.

And now his zanpaktou was asking for the one thing that it was almost impossible for him to give.

His hands actually trembled as he gripped the sword and watched as the Hollow prepared for it's attack. Could he really put his trust in another being, even one that was born from his very being? It seemed like a question that should have an obvious answer but Toushirou found that he honestly didn't know if he could do it.

But it appeared as though he were about to find out.

With another ear piercing screech the Hollow gave a mighty flap of it's huge wings and flew toward the boy who was standing on the ground a few yards away.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next time.


	14. Learning to Trust

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Fourteen - Learning to Trust

Toushirou gripped the hilt of Hyourinmaru tightly as he watched the Hollow soaring toward him. Razor sharp talons were being aimed toward him and there was a gleam in the Hollow's eyes that told plainly that it was out for blood.

"_**Put your trust in me little one… together we can do this."**_

The white haired youth couldn't deny the fact that he was frightened; after all only a fool wouldn't be. However he had made his decision and he would face the Hollow. Because if he didn't do it now then Toushirou fully realized that he never would.

"I have to learn to trust…" the boy thought to himself as he prepared to swing the blade. This was the hardest thing that he had ever been asked to do, far harder than learning kidou or even facing the huge Hollow that was bearing down upon him.

How do you trust when you've never been given a reason to?

"_**That isn't entirely true… Just think of Ukitake and the others who have stood by you since your arrival here in the Soul Society."**_

Toushirou's teal eyes widened as he heard the words that echoed through his mind. A mental image of the white haired captain who had taken him in appeared in the boy's mind's eye and he was forced to realize that he had been given a reason to believe that some people could be trusted.

Not many but there were a few.

This realization helped to steel the boy's resolve and, the moment that the Hollow was close enough for him to strike, Toushirou swung the blade. The bird-like Hollow issued a blood curdling scream as it sought to sink it's talon's into the flesh of the boy's arms.

"_**You can do it Toushirou…"**_

The encouraging words of his zanpaktou helped the boy more than he would like to admit and he met the sharp talons with the blade of his sword. The Hollow's attack was halted but only briefly. Flapping it's massive wings the creature moved back for a second attack.

"This isn't working out as well as I had hoped…" Toushirou muttered as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his zanpaktou.

Keeping his glaring gaze focused on the Hollow Toushirou watched as it once again dived toward him. He made a move to block the attack but wasn't quick enough this time. Knocked to the ground the child felt a burning pain as the Hollow's talons tore through the flesh of his upper right arm.

"Damn it!" the boy swore as he quickly got to his feet and whirled to face the Hollow. He knew that there wasn't time to dwell on his injury because the enemy was still intent upon ripping him to shreds.

* * *

As the blond haired captain of Squad Twelve made his way toward the Rukongai he couldn't help but notice that there were now two fairly large sources of reiatsu. One vastly out weighed the other however and Urahara actually quickened his steps.

He wasn't really one for getting in a hurry but this situation actually seemed to warrant it.

* * *

After a few attacks from the Hollow, all of which Toushirou just barely managed to deflect, the white haired youth was beginning to grow weary. "This really isn't working out so well," Toushirou muttered, gritting his teeth as the Hollow prepared for yet another attack.

"_**Trust in me Toushirou… together you and I can defeat the Hollow."**_

Swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat Toushirou nodded ever so slightly. He would place his trust in his zanpaktou, his partner and the embodiment of his heart and soul. Thinking back to the first time that he had inadvertently called upon Hyourinmaru's powers the child instinctively knew what to do. Taking a deep breath Toushirou leapt into the air, swinging the blade of his sword in an arc in front of him. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

These words had come instinctively to Toushirou and he watched as a dragon, seemingly comprised of ice and water, flew from the tip of his sword. The dragon soared gracefully through the air, circling around the Hollow for a few seconds before colliding with the beast. The Hollow only had enough time to issue a partial scream before it was frozen solid by Toushirou's attack. Falling to the ground the beast shattered in a spray of ice.

"Wow…"

It was completely out of character for Urahara to be that impressed about anything but he couldn't help but stare as the white haired kid from the Rukongai destroyed the large Hollow.

For his part Toushirou lowered his sword, staring at the blade through slightly wider than normal teal eyes. He was now fully aware of how to invoke the ice dragon's powers, at least as far as that one particular move was concerned.

"_**Very well done little one…"**_

Toushirou heard these words echoing through his mind but focused his attention elsewhere as he noticed that he wasn't alone. Inwardly berating himself for not having picked up on the strong reiatsu sooner the white haired youth turned around, his gaze falling upon the Captain of Squad Twelve. Instantly wary his eyes narrowed as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you," Urahara replied, his voice calm and detached as he gazed at the kid who was standing a few feet away. "I felt the reiatsu of both you and the Hollow and decided to check it out. Mainly because it seemed more interesting than doing paperwork."

"I should have know that was the reason behind it," Toushirou muttered as he stared at the blond haired captain.

"At any rate you should probably return to the Seireitei so that your wound can be taken care of by Squad Four," Urahara said, his expression not giving away anything about his feelings.

He was adept at hiding them after all.

"Whatever," Toushirou said with a shrug, sheathing Hyourinmaru. The white haired youth turned and walked away from the battlefield, not even bothering to glance back. He had put his trust in his zanpaktou and this had been rewarded with victory. Of course he hadn't come out of the battle unscathed but it was more than enough that he had won.

"Thank you Hyourinmaru."

"_**You're welcome little one…"**_ the dragon's voice seemed to echo through his mind.

It wasn't something that Toushirou would ever admit out loud but it was actually comforting to have a reassuring voice to listen to. The partner who had always been with him had now made his presence known and was making an attempt to offer his young master advice.

As well as comfort when the boy needed it.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed.


	15. Searched for but not Found

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Fifteen - Searched for but not Found

Chuckling softly to himself Urahara fell into step behind the white haired boy, though it was quite obvious that the kid could care less whether he came along or not. His eyes briefly surveyed Toushirou's small frame, taking in the injuries that he had sustained. Given the power level of his opponent he had faired incredibly well though he would require some attention from Squad Four.

That is, if he wasn't too stubborn to accept their help.

This thought was put on hold however as he watched the child sway slightly to the side. Lengthening his stride the Squad Twelve Captain managed to prevent Toushirou from falling to the ground, reward by a scowl from the boy as the blond captain placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"Back off," Toushirou said, gazing up at Urahara through slightly narrowed teal eyes.

"Now that's no way to be," Urahara said, raising his hand and flicking the youth between the eyes. This simple motion served to cause the kid to once again lose his balance and, point proven, Urahara steadied him once more. "I think we should be getting back to the Seireitei before anything happens to you."

The tone of the man's voice annoyed Toushirou but not half as much as the fact that Urahara took it upon himself to scoop the white haired boy up into his arms. "Little late for that… and put me down!"

Completely ignoring the protests from the boy Urahara resumed his course toward the Seireitei, effortlessly maintaining his grip on Toushirou despite the boy's attempts to gain his freedom. It was blatantly obvious that Toushirou wasn't happy with the current situation but it was equally obvious that Urahara just didn't care. He continued to walk along as though he were carrying a sack of flour and not a squirming boy.

And as he walked he whistled a merry tune.

* * *

"Head Captain Ukitake!"

The white haired captain heard the combined voices and immediately braced himself for the inevitable encounter. There could be no doubt as to the identity of those behind the door and he could tell, by the sound of their dual voices, that they came bearing what they considered important news. Reflexively reaching up and massaging his temples with the tips of his fingers Ukitake called out, "Enter."

The door of the office was unceremoniously opened as two slightly blurry forms entered the room, each vying to get to the desk first. One was a short woman with sandy blond hair while the other was a dark haired man. And both wanted to be the first to reach their captain as was obvious by the fact that they continuously pushed one another to the side.

"I came here to give him important news Sentaro!" the woman said, grabbing the man by the shirt and pulling him back so that he was a few steps behind her.

"My news is more important Kiyone," Sentaro countered, sticking his foot out in an effort to trip her.

"Enough," Ukitake said, his voice calm despite the growing irritation. He knew that his subordinates meant well but at times they were more than he could deal with. And he could feel the beginnings of a headache forming. "I'll listen to both of you so just calm down."

Seemingly somewhat abashed Kiyone and Sentaro both nodded their head, saying simultaneously, "Yes captain."

"Alright," Ukitake said, trying to reach a decision on which of them to allow to speak first. It wouldn't really go over well no matter who he chose but he was seeking to keep the protests to a minimum. Finally, reaching a decision, he turned his attention to Kiyone. "So what is it that you came to tell me Kiyone?" he questioned, hoping both that Sentaro would remain quiet and that whatever news she had was worth the headache that he was beginning to get.

Casting a somewhat smug look in the direction of Sentaro, Kiyone replied, "I was visiting with Isane at the Squad Four barracks when I saw Captain Urahara arrive with that little boy, Toushirou. I didn't get all of the details but from what I overheard it seems like he fought with a Hollow out in the Rukongai."

Feeling his heart jump up into his throat Ukitake had to work hard at maintaining his calm. "Do you know anything of his condition?"

"I think he'll be alright," Kiyone said, her gaze locked onto her captain. "Cause he was arguing with Captain Urahara… rather heatedly."

Ukitake smiled as he envisioned the white haired youth, the image conjured up in his mind's eye wearing a scowl that was decidedly out of place on his young features. "Sounds about right," he said, resolving to go and see the boy once their business here was complete. Turning his attention to Sentaro he said, "And what is your news Sentaro?"

Sentaro was slightly annoyed that Kiyone had been given the opportunity to speak first but said nothing as he addressed his captain. He'd take it up with the girl at a later time. "The search party that you sent out to look for Captain Aizen and the other Shinigami in his group has returned Head Captain… and they couldn't find so much as a trace of their reiatsu. It's as though they vanished into thin air."

This bit of news was disconcerting to the Head Captain, who had expected for the Squad Five Captain to be found fairly quickly, along with the other members of his group. Sousuke was an incredibly skilled Shinigami so Ukitake had thought that the disappearance of his group had simply had something to do with the disappearance of the Hollow that they had been pursuing. "Thank you for informing me of this… I'll look into it." Sounding somewhat distracted the white haired captain inclined his head to his two subordinates. "You're both dismissed."

Picking up on the fact that something seemed amiss with their captain both Kiyone and Sentaro bowed and left his office without so much as a word.

A testament to exactly how dire the situation truly was.

"This isn't good," Ukitake thought to himself once his two subordinates had left. The fact that so many Shinigami had disappeared without a trace was disturbing and he resolved to increase the search for them. "I won't stop until I've found them," he said, rising from his position behind his desk and making his way across the office.

He wanted to go to Squad Four and check on Toushirou but first he had to speak with Kyouraku and make plans to increase the search for Aizen and the others.

A/N - End of another chapter and Ukitake is stepping up efforts to find the missing Shinigami. Hope that you enjoyed.


	16. Moving On

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Sixteen - Moving On

Six months had passed since the white haired child named Toushirou had appeared in Soul Society, his origins completely unknown, and on this day he was preparing to graduate from the Shinigami Academy. It was a record setting accomplishment and only served to cement the fact that he was a genuine child prodigy.

A great deal had happened to the youth during this period of time, which had done their part to shape him into the person that he was today. Donning his new shihakusho Toushirou secured Hyourinmaru across his back, fully prepared to take his place among the ranks of the Shinigami. Today, at the graduation ceremony, he would find out to which squad he had been assigned.

"_**Are you ready for this little one?"**_

"I am," Toushirou stated calmly in response to the words of his Zanpaktou. He had been thinking a great deal about everything that had happened since his rather eventful arrival in the Soul Society. Despite the time that had passed the boy still couldn't summon up any memories about his life before coming to Soul Society and, after awhile, he had almost decided that this was for the best. It seemed rather obvious that something traumatic must have happened in order to make him forget everything, including his own name, and the white haired youth came to the conclusion that it might be in his best interests to simply embrace this new life that he had established among the Shinigami.

His life as Toushirou Hitsugaya.

A sudden knock on the door roused Toushirou from these thoughts. Turning teal eyes toward the sound he called out, "Enter."

A couple of seconds passed before the door opened to reveal Head Captain Ukitake. The man had a smile on his face and, as he walked toward the young boy, he absently placed his right hand in the left sleeve of his haori.

"Oh no," Toushirou thought, by now more than familiar with this gesture. "Tell me he isn't going to…"

But it quickly became obvious that he was indeed going to. The smile on Ukitake's face grew even wider as he pulled his hand from the sleeve of his haori and immediately piled Toushirou's arms full of sweets. "I brought you a little graduation gift," the man said with a chuckle.

Toushirou scowled as he placed the sweets on the desk, rolling his eyes the moment that his back was to the Head Captain. "How does he even fit all of this in his sleeve?" he couldn't help but think to himself. This 'gift' for lack of a better word had never ceased to amaze the boy.

"So are you excited about your upcoming graduation Shiro-chan?" Ukitake questioned, completely ignoring the way that the boy flinched at the nickname.

"Not really," Toushirou stated in a calm tone of voice, internally ranting at the childish sounding nickname. If it had been anyone else who had called him that he would have shouted at them but he had a great deal of respect for the older white haired male which was the only thing that kept his temper in check at this moment.

Ukitake was somewhat surprised by the boy's reply but shrugged off this feeling. It was more than likely just Toushirou's attempt to maintain his mature façade; the boy was notorious for behaving much older than he actually was.

One of the reasons why he had already gotten the reputation for being cold among his fellow students at the Academy.

Ukitake was fairly certain that this was merely a way for the child to protect himself from the taunts of others and to prove that he was worthy of being a full fledged Shinigami. By acting cold and mature beyond his years Toushirou was seeking both to protect himself as well as to prove himself.

"Well come on Toushirou," Ukitake said, the smile still resolutely on his face as he opted to call the boy by his full given name. "If we don't hurry then you're going to be late for the graduation that you aren't excited about."

Toushirou nodded, moving to follow Ukitake from his room. Gazing back he took one last look at his room, where all of his possessions were neatly packed and ready to be moved. After the ceremony he would be moving into the barracks of whatever squad he was assigned to.

"I'm ready for this," Toushirou thought to himself as he closed the door of his room and followed along behind Head Captain Ukitake. There were still several things that he was determined to find an answer to, though his true identity was no longer among them. There were things much more important than a name and a past this his mind had felt the need to banish all traces of.

Gazing back over his shoulder Ukitake noticed the serious look that had appeared on Toushirou's face. It appeared as though the white haired youth was in deep thought about something and Ukitake vaguely found himself wondering what exactly that something could be. Was he worried about moving into the barracks of his new squad?

When he learned of Toushirou's impending graduation from the instructors at the Academy the Head Captain's first impulse had been to assign the boy to Squad One so that he could continue to keep an eye on him. But of course he realized that this had more to do with his desire to protect Toushirou than anything else and in the end he forced himself not to take such an action. It wouldn't really have been beneficial and would most likely only have increased the alienation that Toushirou already faced among his peers.

"Head Captain Ukitake…"

The white haired man turned as he heard this familiar voice calling out to him and he watched as Captain Urahara walked toward him, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. "What is it Kisuke?" he questioned as he came to a halt.

"May I have a word?" the blond captain asked, the hidden meaning of this question not lost upon the Head Captain. Ukitake nodded before turning to his young charge. "You go on ahead Toushirou, wouldn't want you to be late to your own graduation. I'll catch up."

"Right," Toushirou said, nodding his head. He hadn't failed to catch the hidden meaning of Urahara's words but didn't say anything about it as he walked away.

"So what is it Kisuke?" Ukitake asked once the white haired youth was out of earshot. The fact that the normally fun loving Squad Twelve Captain was actually being serious lent credence to the importance of whatever it was that he wanted to discuss.

"I've located traces of Captain Aizen's reiatsu…"

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please be kind enough to leave a review and share your thoughts.


	17. Squad Three

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach nor any of the characters.

Chapter Seventeen - Squad Three

Wearing Hyourinmaru secured across his back Toushirou made his way toward the Academy grounds for the ceremony that would make him an official Shinigami. One of the few occasions when un-ranked Shinigami were allowed to carry their Zanpaktou this would be when the white haired prodigy would find out to which squad he had been assigned.

"_**Are you excited little one?"**_

Hitsugaya listened as the voice of his Zanpaktou spoke, a stoic expression on his young face. He shrugged his shoulders as he replied honestly, "Not really."

Most if not all of the others who were graduating with him were excited about becoming full fledged Shinigami, and had been talking incessantly about the Squads that they hoped to be a part of, but not Toushirou. While it was true that he was glad to be leaving the Academy behind he wasn't delusional enough to think that things would be any different now that he was joining the ranks of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. People would still view him differently because of his age and the amount of time that it had taken him to go through the Academy.

Six months instead of the traditional six years.

He had been labeled a child prodigy due to this fact and many of his peers hated him because of it. They were jealous and tended to take out their pent up frustrations by mocking the white haired boy. For the most part Toushirou would merely stare at them until they had finished and then go about his business as though they hadn't spoken. This, in turn, had led them to label him as cold and unfeeling.

It wasn't the truth; he had feelings the same as everyone else. He had just learned to hide that fact better than most.

"Well if it isn't the child prodigy…" one of the Academy students said as Toushirou walked up to the group. The older male's voice was scathing, as was the look in his eyes, but the white haired youth chose to overlook both. He merely took his place in line without so much as a sideways glance at the boy who had spoken. He was here for one thing and one thing only… to find out to which squad he had been assigned.

* * *

After speaking with Urahara about the fact that traces of Aizen's reiatsu had been detected Head Captain Ukitake resumed his trip to the Academy grounds. His thoughts were filled with questions, none of which he could find the answers for, but that didn't decrease the white haired man's desire to watch the graduation ceremony.

This was Toushirou's time to shine so he would focus all of his attention on the boy that he had grown to view as more of a son than anything else. There would be plenty of time afterward to dwell on the situation with the missing Shinigami.

Ukitake arrived at the Academy just in time to watch as the names of all the graduates were called and they were given their squad assignments. Having resisted the urge to pull some strings and get the boy placed in his own squad the Head Captain listened intently as Toushirou's name was called. The child prodigy had graduated first in his class so his name was called first and the squad that he was assigned to turned out to be Squad Three.

This particular squad was led by the newest to join the ranks of the captains, the former vice-captain of Squad Five, Gin Ichimaru. The man had silver hair and wore a perpetual grin, making him very fox-like in appearance. He was inexperienced as far as leaders went but, like Toushirou himself, had graduated the Academy in less than a year. Perhaps that would aid in the young prodigy's adjustment… or at least Ukitake hoped that it would.

Because he couldn't fail to notice the fact that the other Shinigami didn't treat Toushirou the same as they treated one another. His abilities had always marked him as different and Ukitake hoped that this would change now that he was no longer a student.

For Toushirou's sake.

Things had been far from easy for the boy ever since his arrival in the Soul Society and, as much as he hated to admit this fact even to himself, Ukitake didn't think that things were going to get better anytime soon. Toushirou had powers that the others didn't, despite the fact that part of them had been sealed, and this would always cause him to be the object of envy among his peers. Regrettable but a fact of life that Toushirou seemed to have learned to cope with already, if his reputation for being cold was any indication.

"Such a sad destiny Fate gave this child," Ukitake thought to himself.

* * *

Once the ceremony was over the students were dismissed, having been ordered to report to their respective squads the following day. Catching sight of Toushirou, Ukitake motioned for him to come over. Which the boy did, though he appeared somewhat reluctant to answer the summons. There was a wary look in his teal eyes that he couldn't entirely conceal.

"Yes?" he said in a quiet voice.

"So how do you feel about your new squad?" Ukitake questioned as he gazed down at the boy.

Toushirou shrugged his small shoulders in a nonchalant manner, not really having an opinion one way or another on the subject. He quite honestly couldn't care less, it wasn't as though which squad he was in would change anything. "I didn't have any preferences… one squad is just as good as another."

Ukitake nodded, having known that the boy's reply would be something along those lines. A small smile appeared on his face as he reached out and tousled the boy's hair fondly. Of course this motion elicited a groan of protest from the boy as Toushirou stepped back, out of the man's reach. Ukitake chuckled, having expected this as well. Pride shone in his eyes as he gazed at the boy, speaking quietly. "I'm proud of you Toushirou…"

The boy blinked a couple of times in surprise before muttering a quick, "Thank you," and then making a hasty retreat.

A/N - End of another chapter and Toushirou is placed in Squad Three. So how many of you think that will turn out well? Hope that you enjoyed the chapter.


End file.
